synagogues, they went across the island to Paphos, on its western side. This was the capital of the province of Cyprus, and the residence of Sergius Paulus, the Roman pro-consul, who in consequence of Paul's preaching became a believer in the Christian religion. From Paphos the two missionaries sailed north, to Perga in Pamphylia. From this place they travelled still further north, to Antioch in Pisidia, where they preached in the synagogue two Sabbath-days. Being driven from Antioch by the Jews, they went in an easterly direction to Iconium, another important city in the interior of Asia Minor. Here they preached in the synagogue, and many, both Jews and Gentiles, believed. It was not long, however, before they found that there was a plan laid to stone them, and they left the city, and went to Lystra, a city of Lycaonia. Here the rude, idolatrous inhabitants thought that the two apostles were gods from heaven, and called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury. They prepared to sacrifice to them, and would have done so had not the apostles entreated them to desist, and told them that they were only men, who had come to persuade them to turn from dumb idols to the living God. Jews now came from Iconium and turned these people against Paul and Barnabas, and induced them to stone them. Paul was dragged out of the city for dead. It was not long, however, before he revived, and the next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe, another city of Lycaonia. From Derbe they returned through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch to Perga. From Perga they went to Attalia, and from Attalia to Antioch in Syria. Paul's first missionary journey was now finished.

THE CONFERENCE AT JERUSALEM. After Paul had remained a while in Antioch, trouble arose in the church which led him to go to Jerusalem. That the occasion for this visit may be understood, it is necessary to keep in mind that the twelve apostles held that Gentiles who became Christians must be circumcised and observe the whole Mosaic code, ceremonial as well as moral. Paul, on the other hand, maintained that Gentiles who became Christians need not be circumcised, and that no Christian need conform to any ceremonial law of Judaism. He had preached this at Antioch, and persuaded his converts of its truth. A report of his preaching reached Jerusalem, and delegates were sent to Antioch to tell Paul's converts that they must be circumcised if they would be saved. Paul now went to Jerusalem, taking with him Barnabas and Titus, and a conference was held of which we have two accounts, one in Acts xv. 1-31, and the other in Gal. ii. 1-10. These two accounts it is difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile. The only way of reconciling them is by saying that a private conference was first held between Paul and Barnabas on one side, and Peter, James, and John on the other; and that Paul and Barnabas so far persuaded the other three, that at a public meeting afterwards held Peter and James advocated essentially what Paul contended for. However this may be, it is certain that they did not long remain in this state of mind. The contest between Paul and the Judaizing Christians soon broke out anew, and was

long and fierce. Paul gained an important point in the conference at Jerusalem, in that he received the right hand of fellowship from the leaders in the church there, and the concession that he and Barnabas should go unto the heathen, and they unto the Jews; but his epistles show that this was far from being the end of controversy between himself and his opponents. The six verses that follow his account of this conference (Gal. ii. 11-16) show conclusively that James by no means relinquished permanently his Judaizing notions, and that Peter afterwards went to Antioch, and conducted in so inconsistent a manner in regard to eating with Gentiles, that Paul "withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed."

"It is easy to understand," says Farrar, "in what a flame of fire Paul must often have stood up to urge these questions during the passionate debates which immediately arose. It may be imagined with what eager interest the Gentile proselytes would await the result of a controversy which was to decide whether it was enough that they should bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, — love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, or whether they must stick up mezuzôth in their houses, and submit to concision, and abstain from the free purchases of the market, and not touch perfectly harmless kinds of food, and petrify one day out of every seven with a rigidity of small and conventionalized observances. To us it may seem amazing that the utterances of the prophets were not sufficient to show that the essence of religion is faith, not outward service; and that, so far from requiring petty accuracies of posture and dress and food, what the Lord requires of us is that we should do justice, and love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. But the Judaizers had tradition, authority, and the Pentateuch on their side; and the paralysis of custom rendered many Jewish converts incapable of resisting conclusions which yet they felt to be false. . . . From this imminent peril of absorption in exclusive ritual one man saved the church, and that man was Paul. With all the force of his argument, with all the weight of his authority, he affirmed and insisted that the Gentile converts should remain in the free conditions under which they had first accepted the faith of Christ."

...

HINTS TO TEACHERS. At the beginning of each Lesson a few minutes should be spent in review of some part of the ground gone over in preceding Lessons. The main subject of this Lesson is the conference, or, as it is usually called, the council, at Jerusalem. It should be impressed on the mind of every pupil that the twelve held that the whole ceremonial law of Judaism must be observed by Christians, while Paul held that it need not be observed by them, and must not be required of them.

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REFERENCES. Conybeare and Howson (Ch. VII.); Farrar (Ch. XXII.); Renan's" St. Paul" (Ch. III.); " Bible for Learners" (Vol. III., Ch. VI.); "Footsteps of St. Paul" (Ch. VIII.); "A Year with St. Paul" (Sundays XV.-XVII.). For a fuller list of references, see Lesson V.

PAUL AT PHILIPPI.

Acts. XV. 35-XVI. 40.

No act falls fruitless; none can tell
How vast its power may be,
Nor what results enfolded dwell
Within it silently.

GOLDEN TEXT: Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.- PHIL. iv. 8.

1. What did you learn about Paul in the last Lesson?

2. After he had returned to Antioch and spent some time there, where did he go?

He went through Syria and Cilicia preaching.

3. Will you point out Syria and Cilicia on the map?

4. Who went with Paul on this journey?

Silas, who had come from Jerusalem with him.

5. Where did they go after they had preached in Syria and Cilicia?

They went to the cities of Derbe and Lystra.

6. Had Paul been in these cities before?

7. Who joined Paul and Silas at Lystra? A young man named Timothy.

8. Where did they next go?

They went throughout Phrygia and Galatia.

9. Will you find Phrygia and Galatia on the map? 10. Where did they go when they left this region?

They went to the city of Troas in Mysia.

11. Will you show on the map where Troas was?

12. Where did they go from Troas?

They went to the city of Philippi.

13. Will you find Philippi on the map, and tell in what part of the world it was?

14. For what purpose did Paul visit all these places?

1. What did you learn in the last Lesson about a visit of Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem?

2. What is said of Paul on his return to Antioch? Acts xv. 35.

3. What occurred when he proposed to Barnabas that they should revisit the places where they already had preached? 36-40.

4. Where did Paul and Silas now go? 41.

5. Where did they go on leaving Cilicia? xvi. 1.

6. What have you already learned about these places? 7. Who now joined Paul and Silas? 1-3.

8. Where did they next go? 6.

9. What account can you give of Phrygia and Galatia?

10. What letter did Paul afterwards send to the churches in Galatia?

11. Where did Paul and his companions go next? 7, 8. 12. Where was Troas?

13. What vision had Paul at this place? 9.

14. What account can you give of Macedonia?

15. What change in the style of the narrative begins at verse 10?

16. On leaving Troas where did Paul and his companions go? 11.

17. What can you say of Samothracia and Neapolis?

18. Where did they go from Neapolis? 12.

19. What account can you give of Philippi?

20. What is related of a woman named Lydia? 13–15.

21. What is related of a certain damsel? 16-18.

22. What account is given of the imprisonment of Paul and Silas?

19-24.

23. What account have we of their release? 25-40.

24. What letter did Paul afterwards send to the Christians in Philippi?

NOTES. Acts xv. 36. And see how they do. Paul had reference mainly to their spiritual condition. He wanted to see what progress they were making in faith, hope, and love.

39. The contention was so sharp. "Barnabas insisted on his purpose, Paul on his view of the merits of the case; and, as neither would yield, they parted. Some writers lay all the blame on Barnabas, in spite of the

impartiality of the text. There was heat evidently on both sides. It deserves to be remarked that this variance did not estrange these brethren from their work, or occasion any permanent diminution of their regard for each other."- Hackett.

40. Silas. He had come with Paul from Jerusalem (xv. 22). He is always called Silas in the Acts and Silvanus in Paul's Epistles. He was with Paul during the greater part of his second missionary journey.

41. Syria and Cilicia. It is not known how many or what churches there were in Syria and Cilicia at this time, but most of them probably had been founded by Paul some years before. That there was a church at Tarsus, and that Paul now visited it, is extremely probable.

xvi. 1. Derbe and Lystra. Paul had visited these cities on his first missionary journey. He then reached them by a long, circuitous route; now by a much shorter one, going no doubt through the narrow gorge in the Taurus Mountains known as the Cilician gates. Timotheus. The Latin for Timothy. His father's name is unknown. His mother's name was Eunice, and his grandmother's, Lois. His father was a Greek and a heathen. Had he been a proselyte his son would have been circumcised. His mother was a Jewess by birth and education, but became a Christian before this second visit of Paul to Lystra, probably during his first visit.

3. Circumcised him. At Jerusalem, a short time before, Paul had refused to allow Titus to be circumcised (Gal. ii. 3); now, according to the Acts, he himself circumcised Timothy. Some think this statement incorrect; others regard the conduct of Paul inconsistent; while a much greater number believe that different circumstances justified the different conduct of Paul in the two cases. In one instance the rite was insisted on as essential, and Paul refused to yield; in the other, it seemed to him the easiest way to prevent cavilling on the part of the Jews against one who was to accompany him in his labors, and he accommodated himself to their prejudices.

6. Phrygia. "Perhaps there is no geographical term in the New Testament which is less capable of exact definition. Many maps convey the impression that it was co-ordinate with such terms as Bithynia, Cilicia, or Galatia. But, in fact, there was no Roman province of Phrygia till considerably after the first establishment of Christianity in Asia Minor. The word was rather ethnological than political, and denoted in a vague manner the western part of the central region of that peninsula. By Phrygia we must understand an extensive district, which contributed portions to several Roman provinces, and varying portions at different times. As to its physical characteristics, it was generally a table-land, but with considerable variety of appearance and soil. Several towns mentioned in the New Testament were Phrygian towns,- such, for instance, as Iconium and Colosse; but it is better to class them with the provinces to which they politically belonged. All over the district the Jews were probably numerous." -And the region of Galatia. "The Roman province of Galatia may be roughly described as the central region of the peninsula of Asia Minor. It would be difficult to define its exact limits. In fact they were